Johan blomgben



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JOHAN BLOMGREN, OF' GALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No. 71,962, dated December 10, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-LADDERS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHAN BLOMGREN, of Galesbu rg, in thecounty of Knox, and Stateof Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Ladders and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal sectional elevation of my invention, the ladder not being extended.

Figure 2 is an end elevation ofthe same, the ladder being extended and ready for use.

Figure 3 shows the construction of the expanding-coil H H.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures. y

' The main feature in this invention is a telescopic tube, expanded or closed bya coil fitting within it, and

worked by a toothed wheel.

The invention is of that class which provide a means of escape from burning buildings, and also a means of elevating hose to any desired point from which to discharge water upon the fire.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may be enabled to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe it in detail.

In the drawings, A A represent the frame of my apparatus, in which a is the ground-floor; a, the upper floor; B 13, posts supporting the upper floor; G, a ladder, communicating between the two floors; D D, rails around the upper floor, to guard against falling from it; E E, braces attached to the posts B B, folding upward Y and opening downward, to steady the frame; and 'EF, lateral posts, serving to support the rollers G G. Fixed firmly to the centre of the ground-floor, and projecting upward through the centre of the upper floor, is a telescopic tube or shaft, H H, the upper extremity of which has a cross-beam, I, attached, which is raised or lowered with the tube. K is a crank-shaft, with a pinion, operating the wheel and shaft L, which in turn operate the cog-wheel M. The latter is so situated that its cogs project through a vertical slot, m, in the side of the lower tube H of the telescopic shaft into the interior of the tube. A p'awl and ratchet, is, keep this gear wheel apparatus from running backward, if by any accident the crank K should slip from the hands of the operator. N is a roller, operated by a crank, it, andbearing the coil 0, which elevates or depresses the extension tube H- H. .This coil is of peculiar construction, being just of the length of the interior cavity ofthe tube H H, when the latter is expanded, and its links 0 o o 0 being made to correspond in size with the interior of the particular section of tube which they will occupy when the tube H H is fully expanded; that is to say, the links on the upper"section of the coil will just fit the cavity of the upper section of tube H H; the links of the next section of coil below the upper will just fit the cavity of the next section of tube below the upper, ,&c. The construction of the coil H is clearly shown in fig. 3. It consistsof separate links or pieces 0 o a, hinged together at their extremities, as shown in the drawings, the whole coil being smooth on one side, and presenting teeth or notches z z s on the other, at regular distances apart, correspohding to the cogs 'on the wheel M, which latter are designed to engage in the notches of the coil, and elevate or depress it by this means. The coil is rolled around the roller N, and its smaller extremity is inserted into an aperturein the lower end of the tube H H, opposite to the side in which the slot in is seen, so that the cogs of the wheelM will engage in the teeth or notches z z. A spring, 1), presses a sliding arm against the back of the coil 0, as it is ascending and descending in the tube H H, and holds the coil against the cogs in m,.so as to insure their engagement with the teeth-of the coil. The pulley P is situated at the entrance of this aperture to assist in moving the coil 0.

I have constructed the links 0 o hitherto as follows: Upon plates of suitable size, raised lips or sides are provided, and rods are inserted in them, running across the plate, each rod thus forming a cog or shoulder, against which the cogs m in work. The upper edge of the raised lip may be turned over, forming a flange parallel to the plate. This construction may be described, in other words, as consisting in small sections of tubing, similar in shape to that of which. the tube H H is composed, with a longitudinal strip cut from one side of eachsection, and having the rods, before described, inserted to engage the cogs m m. I do not, however, design to confine myself to the use of links of this precise form of construction, but may use any other i'ormthat will suit my purpose as well.

A rope passes from the roller G over pulleys in the cross-beams I, and raises or lowers the basket R;-

Guide-ropes inay be attached to the basket to steady it when elevated. Braces of rope must also be attached to the different sections of the telescopic tube to steady the whole when expanded. Suitable eyes 7" 7' are fixed to the tube to receive such braces. The basket R maybe made in the form of a box, one side, T, being hinged at the bottom, and opening and closing upon that hinge. If this arrangement is adopted, and an adjustingrod or arm, S, provided, having ratchet-teeth, or having holes to receive pins by which to open the hinged side 'of the basket to any desired extent, and hold it safely in that position, a convenient foot-rest will thus be secured to the firemen, which will greatly facilitate the handling of the hose. The telescopic tube may be made in cylindrical sections, or the sections may be of any other regular form I.havc shown in the drawings a tube composedof sections, CIIClIOf which is a prism, of which the cross-sectiou would be a rectangle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1, The stufiing-coil O, inserted into the lower part of the tube H H, and forced up or down in the tube by the cog-wheel M, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. Theba-sket R, in combination with a fire-escape, having the hinged side T and the adjusting-rod S, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. Theconstruction of the stuffing-coil O, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JOHAN BLOMGREN.

Witnesses: CHAS. A. Pnrrrrr, S LON C. KEMON. 

